Commitments in: Technology - Agricultural and biotechnology

“The vision for agriculture is that the continent should, by 2015:...
...• Be a strategic player in agricultural science and technology development; and

• Practice environmentally sound production methods and have a culture of sustainable management of the natural resource base (including biological resources for food and agriculture) to avoid their degradation...”

“1.8.4. Pillar No 4: Agricultural Research, Technology Dissemination and Adoption
...To avert food insecurity and reduce poverty, African leaders have set a target to increase agricultural output by 6 percent a year for the next 20 years…

Achievement of a 3 percent annual growth rate will require: (a) acceleration of adoption for the most promising available technologies so as to support the immediate improvement of African production through the more efficient linking of research and extension systems to producers; (b) technology delivery systems that quickly bring innovations to farmers and agribusinesses, thereby making increased adoption possible, notably through the appropriate use of new information and communication technologies; (c) renewing the ability of agricultural research systems to efficiently and effectively generate and adapt new knowledge and technologies, including biotechnology, to Africa, which are needed to increase output and productivity while conserving the environment; and (d) mechanisms that reduce the costs and risks of adopting new technologies. To do this requires several lines of action, of which the following may be highlighted:

• Institutional and financial reforms aimed at making national agricultural research systems more sustainable.

The goal is to double the current annual spending on agricultural research in Africa within 10 years. In essence, this would amount to annual investments of some US$1.6 billion for the period up to 2015...”

Scope:

Africa

Commitments in: Agriculture - Food security

“The vision for agriculture is that the continent should, by 2015:
• Attain food security (in terms of both availability and affordability and ensuring access of the poor to adequate food and nutrition);”

Scope:

Africa

Commitments in: Agriculture - Agricultural investment and production

“...The fundamental mutually reinforcing pillars on which to base the immediate improvement of Africa’s agriculture, food security and trade balance are:...
...• Extending the area under sustainable land management and reliable water control systems...

...Further, to provide the scientific underpinning necessary for long-term productivity and competitiveness, there is a fourth pillar, namely:
• Agricultural research, technology dissemination and adoption...

...The total outlay for the period 2002 to 2015 (including operations and maintenance) for the four pillars is some US$251 billion, apportioned as follows:
• Extending the area under sustainable land management and reliable water control systems: Increasing the area under irrigation (new and rehabilitated) to 20 million ha and improving land management in the same area would require US$37 billion. Operation and maintenance would require an additional US$31 billion.

• Improving rural infrastructure and trade-related capacities for market access: US$92 billion of which US$62 billion would be for rural roads and US$2.8 billion for trade-related capacities for improved market access. The protection of infrastructure investments would require additional allocations for continuing operation and maintenance, totalling some US$37 billion over the period.

• Increasing food supply and reducing hunger: Raising the productivity of 15 million small farms through improved technology, services and policies: US$7.5 billion. There is a "sub-pillar" for emergencies and safety nets, requiring some US$42 billion.

• Agricultural research, technology dissemination and adoption: A total of US$4.6 billion. The above implies an annual investment in core activities under the four "pillars" of some US$17.9 billion between 2002 and 2015, including operations and maintenance costs. As can be seen, the CAADP pays attention to safety nets and emergency-related food and agriculture...”

“The vision for agriculture is that the continent should, by 2015:
...• Improve the productivity of agriculture to attain an average annual growth rate of 6 percent, with particular attention to small-scale farmers, especially focusing on women;…

“2.6. Estimated Potential for Investment
The order of magnitude for the investment required to increase the amount of arable land in Africa under improved land and water management from 8 percent (at a 1998 baseline) to 15 percent by 2015 is approximately US$36.9 billion, comprising:

...In addition, operation and maintenance requirements for all categories of land and water improvement are estimated to reach annually, by the year 2015, some US$3.8 billion, equivalent to an overall expenditure throughout the period of some US$32 billion. These maintenance estimates are based on operational schemes and vary considerably per country...”

Scope:

Africa

Commitments in: Other

“The vision for agriculture is that the continent should, by 2015:...
...• Have dynamic agricultural markets between nations and regions;

• Have integrated farmers into the market economy, including better access to markets, with Africa to become a net exporter of agricultural products;”